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Calaveras County Supervisors Initiate FEMA Map Update

San Andreas, CA – The Board of Supervisors this week struck an agreement under which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will shortly begin to update the county’s currently inaccurate flood maps.

“We are very pleased that [FEMA] finally agreed to correct the maps,” states Calaveras County Planning Director Peter Maurer. “They don’t have a deadline, necessarily, but is going to take about 12 to 18 months…we’ll be working with them. The information is already there. There were different studies…already there, that we were pointing to for some time…that are much more accurate. The mapping was available and they should be using that information [now], rather than the state-generated Awarenesss Flood Zone Mapping that they used for the previous update.”

Maurer adds that the department has a conference call with FEMA scheduled in about a week to figure out the process and next steps for the project. Once it begins, he says, “There is a public review process. As each of the panels are updated, they will be presented to us…we will review them — we will have an opportunity for the public to look at them, and identify any errors or corrections that need to be made.”

Updated FEMA maps released and adopted by the county a few years ago that erroneously placed much of the county within a flood zone, created confusion – and, for many, unnecessary flood insurance expenses — for those not located in actual flood plains who followed directions to obtain coverage that were sent out in official notices.